Det Kannes like home

Det kannes like home

March 12 I left work in a tizzy. I had to leave early if I would catch my buss and my boss had challenged me to a half hour of geographic trivia. I made it to the central bus station with about a minute to spare. I boarded the bus. Bus4u and proceeded to take out my book, the Brothers Karamozov, which is a classic in all senses of the word.

I read for about an hour and finished the book. For those of you who have read it, nice huh? And to those of you who haven’t get on it! One of the best books I have read.

So there I was with 3 hours left in my 4 hour bus ride. I took my computer out and proceeded to instant message with my mom. She and my sister were getting ready for their big Chicago trip, which is exciting because my mom used to live near Chi town and my sister is exciting because she likes shiny things? And is my early birthday present being delivered three years before my grand entrance into the world.
About an hour before I arrived I began to feel a strange sensation. It is kind of like when you are on your way to gymnasiet and you have to fight 3 polar bears because you don’t want to be late to Swedish class because you know that’s where you are supposed to be. For those of you who haven’t experienced this. Syn (sad, it is such a typical Swedish experience).

However, I began to feel myself getting nervous. I began to recognize the scenery (rather like Northern Minnesota) and when I finally saw the big lake vattern (sweden’s lake superior maybe) I began to get fidgety. I began to relieve all of the memories that I had from four years earlier which felt like just yesterday and an entirely different lifetime.

So there was butterflies in my stomach and I couldn’t tell if it was because soon I would be entering my old stomping grounds or was it just my aversion to busses that I attribute to my father’s treatment by his former employer. It was probably the former. How would I be welcomed from my exile? As an invader or liberator.
I got off the bus and was immediately greeted by my parents, well my Swedish parents and in those moments I had flashbacks and flashforwards. Really words are so limiting and I can’t legitimately describe what I was experiencing. I remembered moving to their place and leaving and going home to A’mer’I’ka.’

I have quickly learned that sometimes other languages have a better word for some words. It just feels more accurate. For example, I dislike the word annoying and think that the Swedish words pinsamt or jobbigt are much closer to what this feeling is. Isn’t jobby more accurate a description of annoying. It is so jobby to do etc. plus it’s fun to say.

That being said I remember thinking det kannes som home. Which means it feels like home. And indeed it did, seeing as Jonkoping in many ways is my second home.
My host parents took me to Twin Cities (ironic name for a Minnesotan going to Jonkoping?) and I had a delicious steak and num nums limoncello sorbet. We stopped at my host parents best friends house and I saw almost the whole family. It brought back so many memories, though the whole trip did.

The next day I woke up fairly early 8ish… and we had breakfast. Then Asa and I went to the city to go shopping for souvenirs and see the old time. We went by my old high school and wow was I flooded with memories. We walked down the main pedestrian thoroughfare and there were moments when I was like wow where am I because it seemed like past and present were merging.

I was able to find some good things for some of the important ladies in my life
Then we went to get Robert and we went for KEBAB PIZZA with POMME FRITTES! Real Kebab. Num Nums! However, it seems it is much larger than I remembered it and I sadly could not finish the whole thing. Note in Sweden everyone gets their own pizza, which is a lot of pizza.

We returned home and had princess tarta for fika. Again num nums. Then my host familys best friends came over and we had tacos and watched melodifestavalen, which is the most important show in Sweden. It is like American idol except it is a contest for songwriters and the winner goes to the eurovision song contest which is held in May and features a performer from almost all European countries. Exciting!
Then we watched 2 movies and then it was bed time.
The next day we went to the big lake vattern to walk on the ice. It doesn’t always freeze over but every winter when I am here it does. They might not let me back in the winter I think…

Then it was time for me to rock and roll and return to the capital… official government business you know

So I bid adjo to my host parents and we wondered where and when we would meet again? South America maybe?

The entire ride home I contemplated that little town in Southern Sweden which was my home for 11 months. You can learn a lot in that time. And then I thought about my house here in Stockholm and what I am learning here.

I want to have a top ten list by the time I am done here. Less than 2 weeks left! Ah!

I also thought about how it will be to come home. I miss everyone very much and have been promised the release of dragons and eagles upon my return. I look forward to it